HB 972 — An Act providing for an inventory of State-owned assets for the development of fixed broadband services in unserved areas; establishing the Broadband Services Restricted Account; and providing for underserved areas of this Commonwealth.

PRINTER'S NO.   1055

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 972
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, KENYATTA, SANCHEZ, KHAN, GIRAL, BURGOS,
        HILL-EVANS, SCHLOSSBERG, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, FLEMING AND GREEN,
        MARCH 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY,
        MARCH 19, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Providing for an inventory of State-owned assets for the
 2      development of fixed broadband services in unserved areas;
 3      establishing the Broadband Services Restricted Account; and
 4      providing for underserved areas of this Commonwealth.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.   Short title.
 8      This act shall be known and may be cited as the State-owned
 9   Assets and Broadband Services Act.
10   Section 2.   Definitions.
11      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13   context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "Department."    The Department of General Services of the
15   Commonwealth.
16      "Fixed broadband service."    An Internet connection provided
17   through a link to a stationary location.
18      "Mobile broadband service."    An Internet connection provided
 1   through a link to locations that are not stationary.
 2      "Qualified provider."     A provider of mobile broadband service
 3   that has obtained all governmental approvals required for the
 4   provision of fixed broadband service in the unserved area or
 5   underserved area in which it seeks to provide the service.
 6      "Underserved area."   An area within this Commonwealth that is
 7   demonstrated to have limited access to fixed broadband services
 8   or mobile broadband services.
 9      "Unserved area."   An area within this Commonwealth that is
10   demonstrated to not have access to fixed broadband services or
11   mobile broadband services.
12   Section 3.   Inventory of State-owned assets.
13      Under the act of June 15, 1972 (P.L.395, No.117), entitled
14   "An act providing for an inventory of all Commonwealth real
15   property, except highway rights-of-way to be prepared by the
16   Department of Property and Supplies, for its availability to the
17   public, for its updating, and for cooperation by all State
18   governmental agencies; and making an appropriation," and section
19   508(b) of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as
20   The Administrative Code of 1929, the department shall include in
21   its inventories and surveys of real estate structures and assets
22   information on possible use of those assets for fixed broadband
23   services or mobile broadband services. The information shall be
24   used by the department or its designee when analyzing resources
25   available in providing broadband services in underserved areas
26   and unserved areas.
27   Section 4.   Inventory of county-owned assets.
28      (a)   Preparation of inventories.--A county may prepare and
29   periodically update an inventory of county-owned assets that are
30   available and may be used to provide broadband services in

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 1   underserved areas and unserved areas.
 2      (b)   Transmission to department.--A county inventory prepared
 3   under subsection (a) may be transmitted to the department and
 4   shall be included in the information used by the department
 5   under section 3 when analyzing resources available to provide
 6   broadband services in underserved areas and unserved areas.
 7   Section 5.   Lease or conveyance of State-owned assets.
 8      (a)   Authorization.--Subject to the guidelines adopted by the
 9   department under section 7, the State agency having
10   responsibility for a State-owned asset for fixed broadband
11   services or mobile broadband services in an unserved area or
12   underserved area may lease or convey a license or other interest
13   in the asset to a qualified provider in order to permit the use
14   of the asset by the qualified provider in its deployment of
15   fixed broadband services or mobile broadband services within the
16   unserved area or underserved area or portion of that unserved
17   area or underserved area.
18      (b)   Evidence of compliance.--The requirement under
19   subsection (a) is subject to the qualified provider presenting
20   to the State agency evidence of compliance with structural,
21   permitting and other guidelines under section 7, which shall be
22   reviewed by the department or its designee.
23   Section 6.   Broadband Services Restricted Account.
24      (a)   Establishment.--The Broadband Services Restricted
25   Account is established in the General Fund. The money in the
26   restricted account is appropriated on a continuing basis to the
27   department for the purpose of deploying high-speed broadband
28   services in unserved areas and underserved areas.
29      (b)   Funding.--The following shall be deposited into the
30   restricted account established under subsection (a):

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 1          (1)     All revenue generated from leases, licenses or other
 2      interests in assets authorized by this act.
 3          (2)     All revenue generated from the contract entered into
 4      between the department and a wireless infrastructure program
 5      manager on August 23, 2019, and identified by the department
 6      as Contract Number 4400021522.
 7          (3)     All revenue generated from any other contract or
 8      agreement entered into between the department and a wireless
 9      infrastructure program manager for any of the following
10      purposes:
11                (i)    to analyze and market Commonwealth-owned assets,
12          a neutral host system, for revenue-generating purposes;
13                (ii)    to manage the occupancy, revenues and expenses
14          associated with each asset;
15                (iii)    to construct or, through agreement with a
16          service provider, facilitate the construction of new
17          telecommunication equipment on Commonwealth-owned land,
18          facilities or within rights-of-way;
19                (iv)    to retrofit or facilitate the upgrade of
20          existing telecommunication equipment, including, but not
21          limited to, space on any previously constructed towers
22          and buildings; and
23                (v)    to enter into site occupancy agreements for
24          assets and telecommunication equipment with service
25          providers that will facilitate the deployment of
26          broadband services to urban and rural consumers.
27   Section 7.   Departmental guidelines.
28      The department or its designee shall adopt guidelines for the
29   following:
30          (1)     Qualifications for broadband service providers.

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 1            (2)   Negotiating and finalizing site occupancy
 2      agreements.
 3   Section 8.     Approvals.
 4      The department or its designee shall identify an appropriate
 5   timeline of no more than 90 days for approval of site occupancy
 6   agreements.
 7   Section 9.     Statewide Mobile Radio and Microwave System.
 8      (a)   Jurisdiction.--The Pennsylvania State Police shall have
 9   jurisdiction over the Statewide Mobile Radio and Microwave
10   System described in the act of December 5, 1996 (P.L.921,
11   No.148), known as the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act for
12   1996-1997.
13      (b)   Allocation of proceeds.--Proceeds from the lease or
14   licensing of a tower or other asset of the Statewide Mobile
15   Radio and Microwave System shall be used for the purpose of
16   maintaining and improving the system.
17   Section 10.     Applicability.
18      This act shall not apply to:
19            (1)   The Pennsylvania State Police.
20            (2)   The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
21   Section 11.     Effective date.
22      This act shall take effect immediately.




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